Tourists crushed in escalator after sudden malfunction sent passengers falling backwards
At least one person has died and many more injured after a popular tourist attraction in China malfunctioned - which reportedly sent passengers shooting backwards.
60 tourists are believed to have been injured as a result of an incident on the Detian Waterfall in Guangxi, Southern China.
The waterfall, which sits between the Chinese-Vietnamese border, contains an attraction known as the ‘Magic Carpet’, which sees tourists sit on a conveyor belt taking them up the hill as they take in the breathtaking views.
However, tragedy stuck at the falls on Saturday (10 August) as the ride began moving backwards, resulting in people reportedly tumbling down the hill and ultimately crashing into each other.
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The management of the site has since expressed its 'deepest condolences' to the family and friends of the individual who has sadly passed away and those injured, as per Channel News Asia.
Local authorities responded to the incident immediately and have since started an investigation into the malfunction, as well as offering assistance to the injured passengers and their families.
A statement on their findings will also be released in due course, the outlet reports.
One person who witnessed the horrifying event spoke to the Global Times about what they saw.
The unnamed witness told the outlet: "It suddenly stopped and started sliding down. The crowd in front and behind collided due to inertia and piled up together. "The safety panels on both sides were also broken at that time."
Meanwhile, another witness, who was quoted by Beijing News, said he'd reportedly heard a lot of people screaming as the incident happened.
The social media accounts of the tourist attraction confirmed the closure of the ride on Saturday evening.
They stated that due to inspection of the site and its equipment, it would remain closed from Sunday. No date has been provided yet as to when it may reopen, however.
Tourists who'd purchased tickets online would also be eligible for a refund through the ticketing platform they purchased from, Global Times reports.
It's actually not the first time the Magic Carpet has reportedly had difficulties, with various media outlets reporting the ride had malfunctioned previously in January 2023.
According to Global Times, it was reported that the carpet belt as part of the ride had descended rather suddenly, forcing tourists to walk up the mountain instead.
This incident was not as serious as a handful of people were injured, and thankfully all left without serious issues.
The ride was repaired within two hours that day and normal service resumed.
Topics: China, News, World News
Callum Jones